This invention relates to a closure valve adapted to have one end attached to the discharge outlet line of a garbage disposal unit of the type commonly installed in a kitchen sink. Typically garbage disposal units are installed beneath a kitchen sink such that the top part of a grinding chamber is in fluid communication with the drain in the bottom of the sink. Motor driven blades in the bottom of the grinding unit function to cut, chop, and/or grind food waste particles which are placed in the grinding chamber. Water from the sink faucets which flows through the sink drain into the disposal grinding chamber carries the ground up food particles into a discharge outlet line connected to the bottom of the disposal grinding chamber. This line ultimately connects to the residential sewer system.
Over a period of time grease and garbage waste tend to build-up in the internal grinding chamber of the disposal. This build-up causes fluid flow through the unit to be reduced, causes odors and eventually impedes the performance of the disposal unit. When the grease and garbage waste build-up becomes substantial, it is possible that food handled near the sink drain may be contaminated.
Consequently, it becomes desirable to provide a means of cleaning the internal grinding chamber of the garbage disposal unit. Typical attempts to clean internal grinding chambers mainly comprise running liquid cleaners through the units. One problem with liquid cleaners resides in the fact that because the discharge outlet line of the disposal remains open, the cleaner occupies the internal grinding chamber for a very short period of time. Consequently, to be effective any cleaner should be quite strong. Unfortunately high strength cleaners may damage aluminum or alloy components of the disposal unit or may damage seals within the unit. More importantly, because of the very short time cleaners remain within the grinding chamber their effectiveness is greatly compromised.
Consequently, it becomes desirable to provide a disposal unit in which a relatively low strength cleaner may remain within the internal grinding chamber of a disposal for any desired period of time to ensure effective cleaning without damaging the disposal unit itself. This may be accomplished by providing an easily insertable valve system which will block the discharge outlet line of the garbage disposal.